Chapter Nine: Eyes on Us
They say the higher you climb, the louder the fall.
Monday morning came with sharp heels, fake smiles, and whispers that carried like wildfire. It didn't take long for me to notice the shift in the air.
People were looking at me differently.
Longer.
Sharper.
And it wasn't just the usual glares from the upper-floor assistants who thought I didn't belong here. This was new. More calculated. Curious.
The turning point came when I walked into the break room and it went dead silent.
Too quiet.
One woman smiled at me like she'd just seen something juicy. Another quickly looked away, whispering something into her phone as she left.
My stomach dropped.
By the time I made it back to my desk, Marissa was waiting there.
Tall. Impeccably dressed. And ready for war.
"Miss Hart," she said, with her clipped, venom-dipped tone. "A word?"
I followed her into a nearby private office, where she closed the door a little too slowly.
"You've made quite the impression lately," she said, circling me like a predator.
"I'm just doing my job."
Her lips curled. "Oh, I'm sure you are. But when that job starts involving... after-hours activities with the CEO, people start asking questions."
My breath caught.
"Excuse me?"
"You're not stupid, Lina. People talk. Especially when interns suddenly spend the night in the building and get personally escorted to the executive suite." She crossed her arms. "What's going on between you and Mr. Wolfe?"
I stood straighter. "Nothing that concerns you."
Her eyes narrowed, but she smiled. "You're cute when you think you have power. Let me be perfectly clear. If you're smart, you'll end whatever you think is happening before it burns you alive."
She walked past me, heels clicking like a countdown. "Men like him don't choose girls like you, sweetheart. Not for long."
The door clicked shut.
And I was left standing there, shaking.
---
I didn't cry.
Not at first.
But back at my desk, I couldn't concentrate. My vision blurred as I stared at spreadsheets, the words on the screen meaningless.
So I did the one thing I swore I wouldn't: I went to his office.
I didn't knock—I just opened the door.
Damon looked up, brows furrowing immediately. "Lina?"
I shut the door behind me. "They know."
He was silent.
"They're talking. About me. About you. About that night. They know I stayed in the building. They know something's going on."
He stood slowly, eyes darkening. "Did someone say something to you directly?"
"Marissa," I said. "She practically threatened me. Said I was going to get burned."
His jaw clenched.
"I told you this was dangerous," I said, voice shaking now. "I told you we should have stopped."
"I don't regret it," he said, walking around the desk.
"Well, I might have to," I whispered. "Because I need this job. I need this opportunity. And I can't be the girl who slept her way into an office."
Damon's hand reached for mine. "You didn't."
"I know that. But they don't care."
His fingers threaded through mine tightly, grounding me. "Then let me handle it."
I pulled away gently. "No. This isn't a problem you can fix with money or intimidation. It's about reputation. Mine."
He nodded slowly, eyes shadowed. "What do you want me to do?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "But whatever this is... it can't survive in secret and shame."
He stepped forward, close enough to make my breath hitch. "I don't want to lose you."
I closed my eyes. "Then we need to figure out how to stop pretending we're just boss and employee. Or stop... altogether."
A pause.
A heavy one.
Then, quietly, he said, "I'd rather burn this whole company down than let you walk away from me."
My eyes snapped open.
"That's not rational," I said, stunned.
"I don't care." His voice was low. "I've built my life around control. You're the first thing I've wanted that doesn't fit the plan."
He was offering me something—everything—but it terrified me.
Because I wasn't sure if love from a man like Damon Wolfe came with wings…
Or chains.